The National Council of Teachers of English wishes to recognize and foster excellence in children's poetry by encouraging its publication and by exploring ways to acquaint teachers and children with poetry through such means as publications, programs, and displays. As one means of accomplishing this goal, NCTE established its Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children in 1977 to honor a living American poet for his or her aggregate work for children ages 3–13.

The NCTE Poetry Committee gave the award annually until 1982 and every three years until 2009. In 2008 the Poetry Committee updated the criteria and changed the time frame to every other year. The next award will be given in 2011.

The award is presented by the Poetry Committee Chair during the Books for Children Luncheon at the NCTE Annual Convention in November every two years. The winner receives a plaque and an invitation to be the featured speaker at a special Poetry Award session.

2011 NCTE Poetry Award Winner Announced

J. Patrick Lewis is the 16th winner of the NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children. An American poet and prose writer noted for his children's poems and other light verse, J. Patrick Lewis has published over 65 children’s books and loves sharing his stories, poetry, and humor. His poems run the gamut from silly to serious, from free verse to form, from nonfiction to nonsense. Learn more here.

J. Patrick Lewis will be honored at the Books for Children Luncheon and at Session C.17 during the NCTE Annual Convention in Chicago, Illinois this November. Also join the Poetry Committee as they celebrate past award winners in Session G.09, " A Parade of Poets."

Literary Merit (art and craft of aggregate work--as poet or anthologist)Creating books of poetry that demonstrate imagination, authenticity of voice, evidence of a strong persona, and universality / timelessness are essential. In short, we're looking for a poet who creates poetry books that contain clean, spare lines; use language and form in fresh ways; surprise the reader by using syntax artistically; excite the reader's imagination with keen perceptions and sharp images; touch the reader's emotions. A maker of word events is what we're looking for.

Poet's or Anthologist's ContributionsAggregate work, evident potential for growth and evolution in terms of craft, and excellence are considered.

Evolution of the Poet's or Anthologist's WorkTechnical and artistic development as evidenced in the poetry, evidence of risk, change, and artistic stamina, and evidence of different styles and modes of expression are considered.

Appeal to ChildrenAlthough the appeal to children of a poet's or anthologist's work is an important consideration, the art and craft must be the primary criterion for evaluation. Evidence of students' excitement for the poetry and evidence of childlike quality, yet poem's potential for stirring fresh insights and feelings should be apparent.

Poetry Notable BooksThe NCTE Committee on Excellence in Poetry for Children is charged with “exploring ways to acquaint teachers and children with poetry.” One way of doing that is to highlight the wonderful poetry being published for children each year, calling attention to new titles and new poets that children are sure to enjoy. Thus, beginning in 2006 the Poetry Committee began the process of highlighting some of the best poetry books published during the year with an article "Best Poetry Books for Children 2003-2006" in Language Arts, July 2007. Read about the current Poetry Notables in the latest issue of Language Arts today!